University Policy on: Withdrawal from a unit

Purpose of the policy and summary of issues it addresses:

This policy deals with withdrawal from a unit, and the academic and financial implications that are dependent upon the timing of the withdrawal.

The purpose of this policy is to -

specify the date(s) up to which students can withdraw from a unit without academic penalty;

outline the academic implications for students who withdraw after the date for withdrawal without academic penalty;

explain the census date;

enable a faculty or board to permit students with significant mitigating circumstances to withdraw after the specified date without academic penalty; and

provide a system for recording the withdrawal from a unit.

Definitions:

In this policy and any associated procedures,

the University means the University of Western Australia

census date means the date on which liability for student contribution amounts and tuition fees is calculated other than for commencing international students

faculty or board means the faculty or faculties or board responsible for administering the course and includes a body or position to which the faculty or board has delegated responsibility for the function concerned

WAM means Weighted Average Mark

GPA means Grade Point Average

Policy statement:

1 General Principles

1.1 To maintain the highest academic standards, the University must operate as efficiently as possible.

1.2 Withdrawing from a unit after the census date set by the University for that semester or other teaching period results in the student incurring a liability for a student contribution amount or tuition fees for that unit.

1.3 Notwithstanding 1.1 and 1.2, the University allows students to withdraw from a unit without academic penalty up to a specified date as an acknowledgement that personal circumstances, such as relationship, health, family and work issues, can affect a student's ability to satisfactorily complete a unit.

2 Withdrawal from unit

2.1 A student may withdraw from a unit without academic penalty in the period up to and including the first University working day following the mid-point of instruction in the unit.

2.2 Unless the faculty or board, in recognition of significant mitigating circumstances, decides otherwise, a student who withdraws from a unit in the period after the date described in 2.1 and up to and including the last day of the teaching period for the unit is declared to have failed the unit.

2.3 Students are not permitted to withdraw from a unit after the last day of the teaching period for the unit unless, in the opinion of the faculty or board, there are significant mitigating circumstances.

2.4 For the purposes of this policy, the last day of the teaching period is -

for a unit that is taught over the standard Semester 1 or Semester 2 period, the last day of the relevant semester; or

for a unit that is taught over a period other than the standard Semester 1 or Semester 2 period, whichever is the latest of -

(i) the last day of teaching in the unit; or

(ii) ten University working days after commencement of teaching in the unit; or

(iii) the Higher Education Support Act (HESA) census date for the unit.

3 Repeated withdrawal from course

3.1 Students who withdraw more than once from all units in which they are enrolled are not permitted to re-enrol in any course of the University without the special approval of the faculty or board concerned.

4 Liability for student contribution amounts and fees

4.1 Liability for student contribution amounts or tuition fees is determined on the basis of enrolment details at the census dates except in the case of international students commencing a course.

5 Withdrawal codes

5.1 The University uses the following withdrawal codes.

5.1.1 WP = Withdrawn pre-semester

For withdrawal on or before:

for Semester 1 units - the end of the third week of semester one.

for Semester 2 units - the end of the third week of semester two.

for units in non-standard teaching periods - the teaching period census date.

5.1.1.1. The code is not recorded on the formal academic record.

5.1.2 WD = Withdrawn without academic penalty

For withdrawal before the academic withdrawal date.

5.1.2.1. The code is recorded on the formal academic record.

5.1.3 WA = Withdrawn due to administrative error

5.1.3.1. The code is not recorded on the formal academic record.

5.1.4 WC = Withdrawn due to unit cancellation

5.1.4.1. The code is not recorded on the formal academic record.

5.1.5 FN = Fail due to non completion.

For withdrawal after the academic withdrawal date.

5.1.5.1. The code is recorded on the formal academic record.

5.1.5.2. The percentage mark relating to FN, which is used for the purpose of calculating a WAM is 0%.